The Last Battle of the Soul, Religious tract 3
A COMFORT for the fatherlesse.
MY deare heartes bee not dismayed in this grieuous affliction: But take it in patience, seeing it is fromRom. 8. 28 the Lord, who maketh all thinges to worke to the best of th…se that louelove him.
As Father Iob said while hee was made Childlesse, so muste yee say while yee are made fatherlesse, The Lord hath giuen, the Lord hath taken Iob. 1. 21.away, and blessed bee the Name of the Lord.
*NoteIf yee can blesse him for the remouing of his blessinges, hee shall double his blessinges vponupon you, and shall make them to meete you at euerie turne.
The fatherlesse Children of the faithfull whether their Fathers hauehave beene poore or rich, hauehave a rich Legacie left vntounto them? …or to them belong that promise of shewing merciemercy vntounto thousands: Such as bee blessed of him, saith the Psalmist,Psal. 37. …2 mist, shall inherite the earth: In another place hee saith, The generation Psal. 112, 2of the righteous shall bee blessed.
Wee knowe nothing on Earth more tender than a mother toward the fruit of her wombe: This madeIsa. 49. 15. the Lord to say, Cā a mother forget her sucking Childe, that she should not hauehave compassion of the fruite of her nombe? But what answered the Lord to thatvers. 16. question? Yea, said hee, they …ay forget, yet will I not forget thee: Behold I hauehave grauen thee vponupon the palmes of mine hands: This was Dauids greatest comfort that though his Father and his Mother should for sake him, yet the Lord would take him vp: If yee would heare of sensible Experience, My flesh, said hee, and mine hearte Psal 73. 26faileth: But God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer.
Thus as yee see Father, and Mother, Sister, and Brother, flesh and Friendes, Heart, Health, and Wealth, and all will faile vsus, but our God is onelie and euer fast; hee is the strength of our heart and our portion for euer.
Seeing it is so, let your hearts relye vponupon your God alone: What euer your distresses bee (as Abraham said to his Sonne) The Lord will prouide: *NoteWill yee heare Experience? I hauehave bene yong, said Dauid, Psal 37. 25,and now am old, yet hauehave I not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread: *NoteThough the children of the godlie bee but Children of poore fathers, yet heere is their comfort, their godlie fathers before they die treasure vp for them many prayers in Heauen, and leaue vntounto them the rich Legacie of Gods fauour.
Yee knowe certainlie that your Father was one that feared the LORD from his heart, whereof, to all our comforts, hee hath giuen a good proofe: And ther…fore yee may boldlie by the hand of faith laye holde on the promises of God which belong to all the faithfull and to their Children vntounto many generations.
Ye may know by the writen wordLuk. …12. 25 howe God feedeth the Rauens and clotheth the Lillies: Though they neither toile nor spinne, and though they neither sowe nor reape, and though they neither hauehave storehouse nor Barne, yet are they sufficiently prouided: *NoteHow much more are ye better than Fowles or flowers?
Christs precept is of profitable practise,vers. 31. Seeke first the Kingdome of God, and the righteousnesse therof, and all other things shall bee cast vntounto you: Pray the Lord not coldlie and careleslie, but most earnestlie, that hee would cleanse & scoure your hearts from all these worldlie cares, of what Luk. 12. 22yee shall eate, and vvhat ye shall drink, and vvhat yee shall put on: Learne in time to cast your burden vponupon the Lord, who desireth you so to doe, and that with a promise, that hee Psal. 55. 22shall sustaine you: *NoteA little with Gods blessing is enough: It is like that Widowes handfull of meale and little oyle which failed not: The vessels1 King. 17 12 of Gods grace are like that other VVidowes pot of oyle, which yeelded2 King. 4. 2 out oyle continuallie so long as there were vessels to receiue.
If yee bee earnest with God in prayer, hee will not repell your prayers with a deafe eare: The Lord himselfe hath taken vponupon him to bee your Iudge and defender: If anie goe about for to molest you by a violent & boisterous course, he will certainelie bee their bane, like dung hee sh…ll swee…e them away from the face of the Earth.
Seeing then yee hauehave such faire promises of GOD, made both to your faithfull Father and to you also in the day of your Baptisme, beware by a lewde life to forfeite such Bandes and Obligations: Beware to followe the euill examples of this Worlde, in following the droue, which either by secret hypocrisie or publicke prophaning, biddeth Battells to all the Preceptes of Gods Lawe: Sharpe is that sauce which commeth after the sweet…st worldlie pleasures: Let them bee as pleasant as yee please, there is an Hooke in the Bate: The most part of this world is but a rabble of Reprobates, an hoste of damned sinners rushing vponupon their owne destruction: Their cleanest Garments are spotted with the flesh: They areIud. v, 23, more clammie than pitch: None can touch them and not bee defiled.
Bee euer earnest to doe well: Though ye come faire short of that you should and also would doe, yet bee not discouraged: Gods strength at last shall bee made perfect in your weaknesse: It cannot bee auoided but manie will trouble you by fraud & by cusenage, and by other diuerse afflictions: *NoteThough such things bee tedious to the flesh and goe against the streame of your affections, yet in the latter end all shall worke both to your well & contentment.
Let not sorrow ouerwhelme your hearts: Mourne not as these that 1 The…, 4. 13hauehave none hope of the Resurrection: Let the meditations of Gods merciemercy and promised fauour rouse vp your Soules from that lumpishnesse and melancholious drowsinesse which may creep in into your hearts in this troublous time: *NoteStriue to bound and fence your heartes about deligentlie with the thoughts of Gods Fatherlie fauour, who shall neuer leaue you fatherlesse: *NoteThough your father be dead, yet God is aliue.
Now Sir, yee who a…t the elder bee yee the more thankfull to God, who hath giuen you the first place: Shew good example vntounto the yonger: Oppresse them not, but rather bee a father vntounto them: By your good counsell striue to make them plyable and frameable to Gods will reuealed in his word.
As for you who are yonger ones, bee not discouraged, for often grace maketh the yonger to bee the elder, and sinne maketh the elder the yonger: So Iacob found the bl…ssing,Gen. 27, 33 though Esau was the first borne: *NoteIt is Vertue that maketh the Heire.
Let your heartes therefore relye vponupon the Lord: Let him bee the caruer of all your cares: If yee depend on him yee shall not want: *NoteHee who created the world without matter and preserueth it without meanes, is God all sufficient who can easilie finde out meanes for the maintenance of al these that by faith can laye claime to his promise: If wealth bee expedient for you, the Lord will giuegive you a large allowance, till hee make your Cuppe to ouer flow: *NoteBut if otherwise hee hath appointedPsal. …3 5. to exercise you with pouertie, know yt he who hath the hearts of all men in his hands can easilie for your comfort stirre vp some who by their liberalitie towards you shall prouide themselues bags vvhichwhich waxe not olde.Luk. 12. 33
If yee can bend your whole endevour to the seruice of your God hee shall satisfie you with the prouisions of his merciemercy: *NoteBut if otherwise yee become lewde and prophane haunting euill companie the verie canker and cut-throate of all godlinesse, yee shall neuer prosper; no not though by a painefull drudgerie ye should draw out the verie life-blood of your hearts: It is not earlie rising no… late going to bedde, but Gods blessing that enricheth.
Now the Lord of grace blesse you Aprayermine hearts: The Lord teach you to set & seale these comforts with prayers & patience vponupon your hearts: And seeing the dayes are now euill euen the dregges of dayes: I intreate the most High to graunt you grace hour lie to ren…w and strengthen your watch, that your hearts & spirits may be preserued vnblamable, and that vntill the day of his most glorious appearance.
AMEN.